clearing the trash [o]

[Cain]

Such a beautiful day, it was. The sun hung high in the sky, the clouds rolled by with their charismatic serenity, and the vultures soared through with their signature calls. The area was quiet, serene, calming, even, with naught but a single individual sitting atop a knoll. The raven-haired male sat with his knees erected, elbows propped upon said knees, with a pipe held in his right hand. Bringing it up to his lips, he would inhale, the flavored fumes rushing down his throat and into his lungs, before being exhaled out into the air. Golden eyes watched as the smoke danced and twirled in the air before him, as they escaped to the skies. His left hand would then reach for his cheek, as he stroked it with his finger. Then, holding the appendage up before him, he noticed the clear sign of crimson blood upon it. His lips curled into a soft smirk, before he released a scoff. It was then that his golden eyes gazed upon the only taint in the beautiful view of Regna Ferox before him. Just at the base of the knoll, five corpses lay, each one defeated through similar yet various methods. Not a single one of these highwaymen expected to have someone come right at them and destroy their toll-collecting operation. Of course, as expected, this was no voluntary work, and Cain had simply been hired by a merchant in the last town he was in, to take care of these men, for they had taken quite a bit of money from him. Not that Cain was any different, but hey, money was money, and at least he provided a service, right? Another amused chuckle, and an exhale of smoke, and Cain placed his left hand on the ground below him. Then, hoisting himself up onto his feet, he would dust his behind, before resting his left hand on the pommel of his sword. Bringing the pipe back up to his lips, he'd take one more puff, before proceeding down the knoll. Just as he did, though, the black-haired mercenary noticed something at the corner of his eye. Someone else was walking down the road that streaked across before him, where the highwaymen's bodies lay. He paused in his tracks, golden eyes turning towards the direction of said arrival, wondering just who it was.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

Regna Ferox was a really beautiful place, wasn't it?

It was a nice reward after a hard day of training. Once you were done hacking at a training dummy in the dank, musty stables, the fresh air and calm breezes were such a great change of pace. Bit snowy, but when wasn't it around here? Oliver certainly didn't mind, clad in a nice, warm cape to keep all the bitter chills out. Instead he simply took a nice, peaceful ride around the area. There was so much to see! The bright sun, the rolling countryside, the neatly lined up row of corpses under the knoll.

Wait, what!?

The boy guided his mule to take off toward the source, hopping off of her to examine the bodies. Feroxi soldiers? Innocents? No, didn't look like it. They weren't in the usual clothes of peasantry or the uniforms of a regiment. They seemed too organized but too chaotic to be either. Bandits, maybe? There was mention of activity nearby, after all. Oliver wasn't sure what to think. Sure, the roads would be safer now and passerby wouldn't be harassed by highwaymen. But the boy's heroic ambitions had blinded him a bit to the deadly reality of such tasks. The mere nature of the corpses sent a bit of a shiver down his spine.

Still, what was done is done. In case these highwaymen were not the only ones around, however, Oliver decided he'd keep a bit more tightly on guard. He climbed back onto his mule, continuing down the road once again. He turned from side to side as he travelled, making sure to be ready for a possible ambush at any moments' notice.

The one who fought off these bandits must have been very skilled. Did Oliver have it in him to do the same?

Cain

[Cain]

Well, well, well... Who did we have here? Cain raised an eyebrow as he stood upon the side of the knoll, his arms crossing over his chest as he tilted his head lightly, the stray strand of hair over his face tilting to the side. He watched as the red-cloaked male got off his mule to inspect the corpses, Cain's very own handiwork, before glancing around cautiously. And that drew a scoff from the mercenary. Did he not notice the green-armored male standing there, in the open? Guess not. It seemed that the sight of the bodies made the man a little more panicky that he realized, as he quickly got back onto the mule. Before he could head off, though, Cain would finally move from his position. Uncrossing his arms, he would quickly pace down the knoll, before coming upon the road, standing in front of Oliver's path. Giving the man a grin, and a casual wave of his right hand, with his left positioning itself upon his waist, he would greet him. The attitude that the man displayed was truly unusual, a demeanor way too casual for someone who had just taken the lives of five men. True, they were scum, but they were living people nonetheless. How did he get over it so quickly? Simple. The value of their lives had been dictated by the very sum that Cain had been paid with, and really, counting the maths, they weren't worth much. It was simply their misfortune that the black-haired mercenary had been the one to attend to them. That was simply the loose screw in Cain's head. The value of one's life was dictated by their relationship with him, and just how much money was placed upon their head. "Yo, ya heading to the nearby village?" Cain started, as he lowered his right hand. "Mind if I hitch a ride? If you got space for one more, that is." He had a gut feeling that he would be denied, but by the off-chance that he was actually allowed to ride onto the mule, then he would do as such. However, would one really allow a stranger who carried stains of blood upon certain parts of his armor onto their ride, with their backs turned to them? Highly doubtful.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

This sure wasn't strange at all.

Oliver tensed up a little when he saw the bloodied man in the road, but relaxed a little when he noticed he wasn't loosely uniformed like the five bandits he had saw back there. In fact, his clothes seemed Feroxi in nature. Maybe he was a fellow traveller! The boy watched as he approached, looking awfully casual for someone so . . . would it be rude to say messed up? Because all that blood looked pretty bad. Oliver sure hoped the man wasn't hurt.

He looked pensive for a second, before breaking out into a wide smile. " 'Course I can!" he chirped, shifting up a little to give the man room. His mule shot him an incredulous look, receiving a reassuring pat on the head in return. "Sssh, don't worry, old girl," he assured her. "Just a weary traveller. I mean, wouldn't you do the same if it was me?" While Old Bess didn't have the greatest feeling about this, she stood still and waited for the man to climb on. She was more than capable of doing something if he proved hostile anyway.

"Name's Oliver, by the way," the boy said, a bit of concern audible in his voice. "You doing okay? I mean, you look kinda banged up right now."

Seems somebody was having trouble putting 2 and 2 together.

Cain

[Cain]

" 'Course I can!" Cain blinked, before releasing a soft sigh, a surprised grin plastered upon his lips. Well, he had not been expecting that. As grateful as he was for the assistance, he could not help but be disappointed at this man here. Such naivety in a country like this was rare, for it was often the reason many young adventurers lost their lives. Bandits may be idiots, but they were cunning as well, setting up traps in ensnare the unaware traveler. As far as this guy should be concerned, Cain may just be such a bandit. After all, deception wasn't complete without disguises, and just because Cain didn't look it, didn't mean he wasn't a bandit. Whatever the case, Cain would accept the help provided for him, and began to step forward, rounding around the mule to get atop of it. "Name's Oliver, by the way," "Pleased to meet'cha, Oliver. Cain's the name." Cain replied with a smirk, as he stood to the mule's side. Noticing the space that had been provided for him, he would scoff. He never thought he'd have to ride on a such a small steed with another man, at such close proximity. His head would turn slightly, as he gazed down the road. The village he was headed to was rather far away, though, and he was a tad bit exhausted from the fight to make his way there. In short, he was feeling rather lazy. "What?" Cain's smile faded lightly, as his eyes widened in confusion at the following question. At that moment, he would roll his eyes down, looking at his own body. "Oh, this?" Cain chuckled, before shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. This ain't my blood." He replied simply, just wondering how far this boy's naivety went. Cain felt almost bad for him. Just how long would it take for him to finally realize the world wasn't as white-and-black as he saw it to be? Cain? Well, he was certainly in the grey sector.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

Oliver was oblivious to the disappointment of his new travelling companion. He was far too content with the current status quo to really perceive it, after all. In his mind he was simply doing the right thing and helping a weary, injured countryman. Wasn't that one of the very basics of being a hero? Protection and helping of those who needed it most? And if he was approached by the man surely it was because of how dashing he and his noble steed looked, right?

Of course, the boy's placid smile started to drop at the man's words. He took another look at the man, nose reflexively wrinkling a bit at the coppery smell of fresh blood that he only now realized had no visible bodily source. He looked further over his shoulder, back at the five corpses on the knoll. His eyes widened in surprise as realization dawned, surprise tempered only by shock at how casually the man had said his piece.

"Oh," he finally said, too shocked to really add much else to the conversation. He had no idea how to feel about this development. While he was grateful for the man keeping the roads safe, everything else about him was starting to unnerve Oliver. How unshaken he was walking around covered in the blood of others. How he laughed a little when mentioning, if the boy's hunch was right, that he had just killed five people. How oddly casual he was about this situation in general.

He was glad to know the roads were safe, but was this really the best way?

"What happened back there?" he asked, voice a bit cautious in case he tripped over a touchy subject. Not like much seemed to shake this guy, of course, but Oliver didn't want to take the chance.

Cain

[Cain]

"Oh," Ding ding ding, we got a winner! Cain's lips tugged ever so lightly as he knew that Oliver finally realized just what had occurred here, and why Cain was all the way out here on his lonesome. Not saying anything else, Cain would grab onto the edge of the saddle behind Oliver, before hoisting himself up, leaping onto the mule with a soft grunt. Adjusting himself so that he was not needlessly pushing against Oliver, and at the same time, he would be comfortable, Cain gave a soft smile. Well, despite his naivety being a dangerous thing to have here in Regna Ferox, or in the world in the first place considering its current condition, it was still a refreshing site to see, to say the least. It meant that out here, in the wilderness, there were people that were still foolish enough to believe there was hope. Really, the world needed more people like that. Too bad Cain was too far gone to step into such a role. "What happened back there?" "Eh, nothing much, really." Cain shrugged, his golden eyes wandering away as he gazed upon the scenery that Regna Ferox had to offer. If one could forget how harsh this environment was, one could really see just how beautiful it could be. For most of the locals, however, that beauty had been long tainted. "Just doing my job. I got hired by a merchant to take care of these highwaymen, and I always deliver." Cain smirked, giving a soft thumbs up, looking rather proud at his achievement. And then, a hearty laugh would come after. "What about ya? Where'd you come from?" It was a rather obvious change of topic, Cain not wanting to scare the boy away, not after he had offered to help. Besides, the twenty-one-year-old found himself rather curious about Oliver. How had he maintained his innocence through the years of his life?

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

Killing for money, huh? Oliver loved justice and money as much as the next guy, but the more lethal branches of mercenary work and bounty hunting never fully sat well with him. Maybe because of the idea of trying to put a value on something as big and important as a human life. Was that the kind of call anyone could make, really?

Of course, then came the topic change. Oliver thanked his lucky stars for that one. All this talk of people dying was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"I came from Ferox. Was doing a bunch of training with Old Bess here earlier, and now that we've gotten done with a hard day's work we figured it'd be nice to relax and go for a nice walk through the area." The boy grinned, but the way he looked around the horizon made it clear he wasn't fully finished with any training yet. " 'Course, that doesn't mean my job's done here. Even on little breaks like this I'm always trying to keep an eye out for anyone in need.".

Explained how he ended up stumbling across all those bandit corpses, at least.

Oliver decided not to let Cain know he was the first person in need that the boy had found, though. That would've made him sound so ineffective!

Cain

[Cain]

Cain had long accepted the dark side of his line of work, that a person's life was valued at the amount of cash placed upon their heads. In fact, he had accepted it to his deepest roots, for he no longer saw life in general as valuable. Instead, a person's worth in his eyes was only as much as how much respect he had earned from Cain. Friends were protected to his dying breathe, but his enemies and those who stood in his way? They were trash, and Cain would never show hesitation ending the life of such, just as well as he would show no hesitation in standing up for a friend. Life had raised him to become the beautiful and efficient monster that he was. But whatever the case, the topic had changed, and so did Cain's train of thought. He was training, huh? An aspiring knight-to-be. Cain grinned. He wondered, though, off-handedly, how far this boy would go in this crusade of his. Would he become famous, like those knights and heroes he had read about, or would his innocence be the reason for his downfall? In a way, Cain was rather curious as to what fate had in store for this rare Feroxi youth, and perhaps, he felt rather obliged to invest in it. His future was bleak, his soul too tainted to be made for glorious tales and history, but this boy? He carried potential. Cain chuckled, a hand coming up to pat the boy in the shoulder. "Well, you have one more feat to add to your list of deeds then. I appreciate the help." With a reassuring smile, he'd place his hands back on his knees, keeping himself steady upon the steed. It was then that he realized how piqued he was at Oliver's journey. He had perhaps been drawn in by the boy's innocence? He had never had a protective nature before, yet he felt compelled to try and help the boy see his dreams through. A soft smirk came upon his lips. Well, he was going to have to pay him first, wasn't he? He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

Oliver grinned at the man's gratitude.  He honestly hadn't expected somebody like Cain to suddenly start being so warm, but it made him feel pretty strangely happy.  It definitely made Cain seem a bit less scary, at least.  The boy seemed to visibly relax, grinning a bit and continuing his ride forward.  "Not a problem!  Always happy to help," the boy chirped, voice as bouncy and energetic as the feather in his hat was.

As the ride went on, though, Oliver found himself increasingly curious about the man riding behind him.  What brought him here?  What made him so capable of killing without a second thought?  After all, he seemed so dang nice when he wasn't.  To think someone with such a trustworthy smile could be so comfortable with someone else's blood all over him just plain confused the boy.

Not that it'd be polite to just ask about that kind of thing. The past was a sensitive topic for so many people, and even Oliver knew better than to just randomly ask such brazen questions. Especially to someone who was barely past a stranger. Still, though, he really wanted to know more. Surely there were some things appropriate to ask, right?

"So, where are you heading once we get back to town?"

Cain

Hero isn't a noun
It's a verb

[Cain]

Where would he go once they reached town? He pouted his lips for a brief moment, glancing up at the sky. What should he do when they reached town? He already had his reward, after all, his job being that of sword-for-hire than assassination and the likes. Not that he wouldn't do the latter, but this job in particular was more the former than anything. A simple Caeser situation. He came, he saw, he conquered, and that was all there was to it. How was he going to spend his reward, though? Evidently, he was going to save some for his travels, but the excess...? "I'll probably hit the tavern. You know, drink some of the tension off. Still have some adrenaline pumping through my veins from the fight and really, they weren't that much of an outlet." Cain chuckled, acting as if the act of battle itself was nothing more than an amusing activity. It was Cain's life, after all. The young boy that had once aspired to become one of the heroes of old, had become nothing more than a warrior lost in the darkness of the battlefield. And someone who had accepted such a situation, at that. "What about you? Going quest-hunting for more good deeds to be done?" Cain teased, a soft smirk coming upon his face as he patted the young boy's shoulder. For some reason, he had that exact image in his head, seeing Oliver jumping from individual to individual, asking if they needed help, or generally waiting for someone to come asking for help. Most likely, the former. It seemed more... Oliver. True, he did not know the boy that well yet, but it just fitted him. Another chuckle escaped his throat. Perhaps he could stick around a bit longer, hmm? Who knows, Oliver may just bring him quite a bit of amusing adventures, and his drive to do some good in a country like Regna Ferox may just bring in a lot more revenue than Cain was getting just lingering and waiting for opportunities to come by. In other words, he would be his scout. Nothing wrong with that, right? He was still going a good deed, after all. Just... Conditionally.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

Cain

Where Cain chuckled, Oliver simply shuddered. It almost made the boy glad he was befriending the strange warrior, rather than facing him down on the battlefield. To think, were situations any different, he could have just been effortlessly slain without a care . . .

Oliver figured it'd be best to stop thinking about this subject. It was starting to greatly unnerve him.

Then, just like that, scary deadly warrior Cain vanished and friendly, approving Cain appeared in his pace, giving the boy a friendly pat on the shoulder and some gentle teasing. How did he switch between the two so easily? Was he just always like this, even when fighting? How could one be so friendly just seconds after ending some lives for good? Cain was an enigma in Oliver's worldview, somebody the boy couldn't understand even if he tried. Still, he returned the smile to the best of his ability.

"You bet! Not like there's ever a bad time to help people, right?" Cain was probably one of the first people in need Oliver actually managed to find, but the boy was absolutely positive there would be others if he looked in the right places. Although there'd also be bad people, too. The bandits Cain had slain were proof enough of that. Briefly, Oliver wondered what he'd do if he bumped into bandits. Would they be as hesitant to kill as he was?

Would he have to just get over it?

The curiosity was too much. He had to ask. "Was . . . was it easy?"

Hero isn't a noun
It's a verb

[Cain]

Cain laughed at his reply. Ever a bad time to help people, huh? He wasn't sure. He himself was far from being such an individual. He was a sword-for-hire, after all. He helped who he was asked to help, and who he decided to help. Not for justice, or honor, or anything, but simply from personal preferences. If it was a friend who sought to end the life of a merchant who had done him wrong, then Cain would help with that. After all, friends were the one thing that he would be willing to work for for free. Albeit, he seemed to dislike it, but he found it difficult to turn away friends like that. Despite his way of life, friendship was indeed important to him. That is, if he had any in the first place. None had ever gotten close enough to earn the title in his eyes. And then came the rather unexpected question. Was it easy? Cain blinked, the smile on his face fading away, as he stared at Oliver. Had he ever killed a person? Cain wondered, and for some reason, he had a gut feeling that the answer was a clear-cut no. Oliver may have raised his weapon before, but had he taken a life? Had his hands been bloodied? Considering his naivety, Cain somehow doubted that. How sould he answer this? Saying it was would make it difficult for Oliver to accept, and he may just take it as well as Cain was doing already. And then, saying it was hard would be outright lying to him. Cain killed. And he had killed many. But how would Oliver's innocence accept having taken a life. "It's easier for some." Cain replied simply, his eyes pulling off of Oliver to look into the distance in front of them. A clear sign that this was not a topic Cain would prefer to talk about. At least, with Oliver.

◀ MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Oliver]

"Oh. Sorry."

For once Oliver had picked up on reading the atmosphere in the room, and quickly did his best to wheel away from that line of conversation.  Cain had been nothing but friendly, after all, and while he was admittedly very curious he didn't mean to land in any verboten conversation territory.  At least now the topic of fresh blood had been forced from his mind, and he could try and think of something else to talk about.

Thankfully, such a thing came to mind far sooner than Oliver had feared. A grin broke out on his face as he noticed a few buildings on the horizon. "Look, look, we almost made it!" the boy called, laughing a bit. "Told ya Ol' Bess was the fastest steed this side of the Regna." The mule proudly snorted, by now used to her rider extolling all of her virtues to anyone they stumbled across.

Of course, the duo wasn't out of the woods yet.  The town was still but a speck in the distance, no more tangible than a painting of a city would be.  And there were still large groups of bandits clustered around the area, weren't they?  Oliver didn't realize this, though, and instead let his delight get the better of him.  He confidently rode forward, a bright grin where watchful eyes should have been.

"Gonna do anything else? I mean, not like you can spend a whole day at a tavern." Could you? Not like Oliver had ever tried, that is. Was he even old enough for such a thing? So many questions on his mind, thankfully blocking out the big flagrant one he had thought about earlier.

Hero isn't a noun
It's a verb

Cain